Earning Altitude Qualifying Dollars

As with Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM) or Altitude Qualifying Segments (AQS), Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) will always be credited to the member who travels, not the member who purchases a ticket.

You will earn Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) for the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges (Y, YQ and YR) on eligible flights flown, including:

Flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada RougeTM.

You will also earn Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) for eligible Flight Pass purchases and eUpgrade Add-ons based on the monetary value of the purchase.

Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) are tracked based on the date of travel and only after travel is completed. For example, if you purchase an eligible ticket on December 15, 2019, for travel on February 15, 2020, your AQD will be credited shortly after you completed your travel. For Unlimited Flight Passes, AQD will be credited based on the payment of each monthly installment. For eUpgrade Add-ons, AQD will be credited based on the date of travel.

Please note that due to data exchange processes between Air Canada and its industry partners, there can sometimes be a delay between the time of travel and the posting of Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) depending on the type of ticket. This can occur as soon as 24 hours after your Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM) have been posted, but in some cases can take up to one month.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I earn AQD for 2020 Altitude status?

You will earn Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) on eligible purchases for the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges (Y, YQ and YR) for:

Flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Express and Air Canada RougeTM.

Specialty tickets, including but not limited to, promotional tickets and Flight Passes, opaque fares, group, consolidated or bulk fares that are not eligible for the accumulation of Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM).

Flights marketed by Air Canada but operated by airlines that are not Star Alliance partners and codeshare flights marketed and operated by other airlines do not count towards AQD.

Where can I track my AQD?

Your AQD tracker, as well as your latest flight activity, will be displayed on your Dashboard page at altitude.aircanada.comOpens in New Window. Always ensure your Aeroplan Number is entered on your reservation to ensure your AQD are credited to your account. Due to data exchange processes between Air Canada and its industry partners, there can sometimes be a delay between the time of travel and the posting of Altitude Qualifying Dollars (AQD) depending on the type of ticket. This can occur as soon as 24 hours after your miles have been posted, but in some cases can take up to one month.

If, after two weeks from having completed your flight, your AQD have not shown up in your account and you have not received your Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM) for the flight in question, submit a retro-credit request via aeroplan.com. This will trigger crediting for both your AQM and AQD.
If there are any discrepancies with your AQD, you can report them by completing this form. Please ensure a minimum of fourteen (14) days have passed since your flight departure – we cannot make any adjustments to your AQD profile within the fourteen day timeframe.

Are all my Flight Pass purchases eligible for AQD?

Promotional or time-limited Flight Passes may not earn AQD if they do not permit AQM accumulation.

For eligible limited-credit Flight Pass purchases, you will be credited, once travel is completed, for the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges based on the value of each individual flight segment.

For eligible Unlimited Flight Passes, your AQD will be credited upon payment of your monthly installment, similarly to how we credit your AQM. The total amount of AQD which you will receive will correspond to the price paid for your Unlimited Flight Pass, before sales taxes.

For eligible Corporate Flight Passes where there is more than one traveller, the AQD value will be credited to the person who travels, not to the purchaser.

Will I earn AQD for baggage service charges, my Maple LeafTM Club membership or other Air Canada purchases?

Currently, you can earn AQD on a ticket purchase (i.e. the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges) and eUpgrade Add-ons.

You will not earn AQD for other purchases, including:

baggage service charges

a Maple LeafTM Club membership

a Last Minute Upgrade purchase

standard or Preferred seat selection charges

Air Canada Bistro purchases

In addition, the following do not count toward your AQD balance:

the amount you successfully bid to obtain an upgrade as part of the AC Bid Upgrade program

the government-imposed taxes, fees and surcharges associated with ticket purchases.

Will I earn AQD if my bid is accepted as part of the AC Bid Upgrade program?

Currently, the amount you successfully bid to obtain an upgrade as part of the AC Bid Upgrade program does not count toward your AQD balance.

Will I earn AQD if I use an Air Canada travel certificate (eMCO) or a discount code to purchase my ticket?

eMCO

The form of payment does not affect your ability to earn AQD, so you will earn AQD even if you use an eMCO to purchase your ticket.

Discount Code

When a discount is applied on your purchase, it adjusts the base fare to reflect the new price. AQD will be calculated based on the adjusted price. In most situations, when using discount codes and where mileage accumulation is allowed, AQD will be earned. When using Net Fares which do not inhibit mileage accrual, eligible purchases will earn AQD.

However, if your discount code inhibits mileage accumulation, it will also inhibit AQD accumulation.

Can I earn both AQD and frequent flyer miles or points with a program other than Aeroplan?

No, for a ticket to be eligible for AQD, you must enter your Aeroplan Number as your frequent flyer number.

Does the type of fare option I purchase affect my ability to earn AQD?

When you purchase an eligible fare option, we assess AQD based on the value of your ticket. Naturally, the higher the fare you purchase, the more AQD you will earn. Please note that the Economy Basic fare option does not allow for the accumulation of AQD.

Will I earn Air Canada AltitudeTM status if I reach the AQD requirement, but not the AQM or AQS; or if I reach the AQM or AQS requirement, but not the AQD?

No. In order to reach any Altitude status, you must earn the required number of AQM or AQS and AQD.
For instance:

If you earn 125,000 AQM and $25,000 AQD, you will reach Super EliteTM 100K status.
If you earn 52,000 AQM and $4,500 AQD, you will reach EliteTM 35K status.
If you earn 34 AQS and $5,000 AQD, you will reach PrestigeTM 25K status.

The AQD requirement also applies to all members, regardless of residency.

My ticket includes more than one flight. How will you calculate the AQD for each flight?

We use an industry-standard proration method based on the length (in Great Circle Miles) of each eligible individual flight segment to distribute the AQD value of your total eligible purchase (base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges) to each of your flight segments.

What if I purchase my tickets in a currency other than Canadian Dollars?

All AQD will always be tracked in Canadian dollars. If you purchase your eligible tickets in a foreign currency, Air Canada will use a standard exchange rate at time of sale and award the equivalent AQD in Canadian dollars.

What if my ticket is cancelled or goes unused, will the value I paid count towards AQD?

No. Since we assess all AQD based on travel date, if you do not end up travelling on a ticket you purchased, we will not be able to assess the value of your AQD and that value will not count in your total.

Does the introduction of AQD affect my Million Mile progress or status?

No. The introduction of AQD does not affect any status earned through the Million Mile program, nor does it change the way we track lifetime qualifying miles in the program.